Thursday, 30 June 2011

gay.by reports that the Executive Committee of the Belarus' capital Minsk has banned the display of the rainbow flag, the international symbol of the LGBT movement designed by San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker in 1978.

The use of rainbow flags as a sign of diversity, inclusiveness, hope and of yearning actually has a long history. Some Christians have objected to the LGBT use of the flag as they see the rainbow as holy and symbolic. Earlier this month rainbows were banned at a Catholic school in Ontario, Canada. The flying of the flag for LGBT Pride month has drawn objections all over the World, such as this protest in the UK.

The ban in Minsk is because the rainbow does not have a special 'heraldic registration' in the 'Heraldic Council under the President of the Republic of Belarus' and is thus prohibited in Belarus under the law "On Mass Events in the Republic of Belarus."

Says gay.by:

"In the country no officially registered LGBT organisations which could begin to initiate the process for registration of the flag have been allowed. But if this flag will be registered by another organisation, the symbol is available only for members of that organization. So use by LGBT or their friends will once again break the law by using 'foreign symbolism'."